“General Motors Corp. and eBay Inc. announced Monday they will offer cars from California Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Pontiac dealers through the online marketplace.
Consumers will be able to browse virtually through showrooms, ask questions, negotiate prices, and arrange financing and payment to purchase a new 2008, 2009 and some 2010 vehicles.”
Rather than take more taxpayer money. Hard to disagree with that!
Okay, I think the car makers are beginning to get it BUT I’m sorry, stabilization plan? That is how they are selling the bailout to Americans?
How about, “Car-makers fill taxpayers’ coffers plan” You know, something about us, about what we will get out of this.
When businesses go to a lender for a loan, they talk about how the lender will profit from the investment.
Auto industry stabilization plans for all three car makers courtesy Docuticker:
It appears that the company has focused its strategy on a public relations campaign to beg the American people to bail them out because if they file bankruptcy, the economy will collapse. Here is another press release about how they are delaying reimbursements to dealers because they are in desperate straits. We know this is a strategy because they are using the company spokesman, John McDonald, to spread the word to the Associated Press.
To me, a more effective strategy would be tell us what GM is willing to give up; carbon emissions, gas-guzzlers and the bad business practices that got them in this mess. Note to GM: you need us more than we need you.
Update: I just checked the GM website and when I clicked on corporate information it took me to a website, http://gmfactsandfiction.com/ where their scary video is featured along with all their “scary” facts.
Where to start? How about the music? Did they commission Philip Glass and tell him it was a workplace instructional video? It is creepy, repetitive and crude. Like the video itself which is a series of statistics; how many people the car manufacturers employ, how many dealerships there are, how many people make auto parts. Its interesting that GM hasn’t been particularly helpful to the later and but alas the video isn’t about them, its about us. And how after the onslaught of scary statistics and the mind-numbing music, we are suppose to grab the phone and call our congressperson and tell them, “VOTE FOR THAT AUTO BAILOUT!” Yes, we are suppose to be panicky and scared that our economy as we know it will disappear. Does this sound familiar? Like the last bailout? And so we give them all this money, these capitalist losers and then what? Expect that they will spend it wisely and build great fuel-efficient cars that people will want to purchase? Why doesn’t the video even address that question? How are we to believe they will be successful with our money? No, they don’t want to even go there. They would rather spend three plus minutes persuading us that cars are big business in America. Did someone not know that? If this is the best GM can do, I say NO! to the bailout.
I’m not automatically against the automaker bailout. I do think its a linchpin of the American economy and if AIG and the banks deserve bailouts, I can see a rationale for GM and the others. HOWEVER, this video produced, I assume, by GM makes me angry. See it yourself. I’ll give my thoughts in the next entry.
Hummer anyone? Keys are in the ignition
Here is what GM say in its most recent 10-Q: (thanks footnoted.org)
“We do not believe it is likely that these adverse economic conditions, and their effect on the automotive industry, will improve significantly in the near term, notwithstanding the unprecedented intervention by the U.S. and other governments in the global banking and financial systems.”
More $$$ please!
Faucet as Icon or what would Charleton Heston look like if he were a faucet?
Here is an example of how scary the credit crunch is. Last month GMAC, the credit arm of General Motors announced it wouldn’t lend to buyers with credit ratings under 700. And the latest figures on GM sales show the impact: Cadillac falling 55.1%, Buick 46.3%, Chevy 40.3%, GMC 52.5%, Pontiac 48.2% and Saturn 54.6%.
(Thanks autoblog.com)
“Dan Quayle offers hints about possible Chrysler-GM merger”
Should Sarah and her buddy John lose the election, maybe she can join Dan on the corporate insider track. Halliburton VP for Communications perhaps?
Reading Tea Leaves by Randy Wilson 